The Rare Gem of Life
by Gemalhena
Summary: Ever wonder why Aiolos had never told the simplest truth to the old Kido, or writing it on the Sagittarius Temple's wall while he bothered to write anything else ? A sickly-sweet bromance story
1. On THAT Starry Night

Summary:

Ever wonder why Aiolos had never told the simplest truth to the old Kido, or writing it on the Sagittarius Temple's wall while he bothered to write anything else ?

 **Happy belated birthday to my beautiful sister. You are my gem, pretty.**

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Ever wonder why Aiolos had never told the simplest truth to the old Kido, or writing it on the Sagittarius Temple's wall while he bothered to write anything else ?

Yes, he could have just easily said that it was all Saga's work, a Gemini saint in disguise.

Had he declared it, all the young gold saints would believed it in an instance; Saori Kido and the bronze saints would never have to climb the stairs and the hills . They could have declared the truth at Sanctuary's gate and simply demanded the Patriarch to take off his mask.

Alas, that was not what happened, causing all those miseries in the saga.

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A universe where LoS (meaning that scarlet-haired Milo, and all about the age of each gold saints), manga and SoG are intertwined.

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* * *

 **ON THAT STARRY NIGHT...**

The stars were shining brightly above them when both of the leading gold saints reached the Patriarch Temple to have the audience.

Both gold saints already guessed why they were summoned to the Patriarch's chamber.

While the Sagittarius saint was being calm thinking that the audience as any kind of formality to announce his best friend as the next ruler of the Sanctuary, the Gemini saint's heart was pounding loudly thinking that finally he would be given the immense power to rule and the key to unlimited knowledge of the Star Hill and from those houses of gods from before time.

Aiolos glanced at his fellow saint.

These past few days, Saga looked troubled and upset but shut himself out from the world. It was nothing out of ordinary, though, not since two years ago when the Gemini saint came back from a battle in another dimension with one of his beautiful Aegean-Sea eyes wounded into a horrible scarlet. A scar that was deeper than on the physical level and had stayed there to become a part of a Gemini Saga.

And only Aiolos who knew what has happened. Because he was Saga's only confidant for that matter. What happened was something that Saga could not share even with his twin.

Over those two years, Aiolos had held Saga to calm him down when he found the gemini secretly crying behind the books in the library, in the middle of the night. But bit by bit, Aiolos felt like Saga was slipping away from their used-to strong bond. Even Kanon felt it, too, unbeknown to him the reason.

However, outside the troubled times, the Gemini saint behaved as usual, which was always being charming and kind to the people in the sanctuary despite being called a strongest gold saints who owned powerful techniques in the battles. Saga still loved to teach the young gold saints some martial arts in the coliseum despite being exhausted from the last battle or mission. The Gemini was still keen on reading and discussing books for some curious gold saints like Camus, Aldebaran, and the first female gold saint in this era, little Milo.

And because of that, Aiolos had never thought of the worst that would come. He was concerned of Saga's trouble, but he still believed that Saga was strong enough to endure and rise above it. That Gemini saint was destined to be the next ruler of the Sanctuary. At least, most of Sanctuary's people wished for it, let alone those sheepish young maids of the temples.

So Aiolos reached out to tap Saga's shoulder.

"You will do great, Saga," he said earnestly.

"Thanks, brother. But I wouldn't be so sure about it Aiolos." Saga chuckled to hide his pounding heartbeat. "I have been arguing with him lately about how things should be organized around this place." He sighed. "And I was too careless daring to ask him to stay the night at the Star Hill."

"You did that?" Aiolos widened his eyes. "Why? You know that master Shion is possessive about that place. Although to be fair, Star Hill is a place for no one else than the goddess, the Patriarch or a lucky appointed person in rare time, which is no one until this date. Except for you."

"Yeah, I was too impatient. And no, I was not the only lucky one. Aiolos. Remember, master Shion always talked about saint Degel the reader of the starsr from the previous era. They way he talks about it, you would think that Camus is the next Degel." Saga sighed again. "I saw him went there with Camus last week. And that's why I was impatient."

Aiolos smiled. "Yeah, you were careless. But that brings us back to this. Perhaps master Shion was preparing Camus to be **_your_** star reader."

Saga frowned. "And left you with nothing? That is unlikely."

"I am happy to be your first general, anyway. I prefer it." Aiolos pushed Saga forward, walking through the last stair. "Come on. After this, let's celebrate it with Kanon. I haven't seen him lately, by the way."

"Kanon, he…" Saga swallowed. "Aiolos, I...I have-"

"His Highness Patriarch Shion is waiting in the inner chamber." Suddenly the sharp voice of the Archdeacon Dono cut through the brief silence of Saga's stammered confession.

Aiolos winked to his friend, whispering. "Please choose a friendlier Archdeacon for you later, pal."

Saga swallowed, then softly chuckled, feeling relieved from the newest secret he was about to tell his closest friend.

And when they were obediently kneeling in front of the charismatic and legendary Patriarch Shion who survived the Holy War, both saints were unprepared to hear the biggest blow in their expectation.

"Considering all the achievements and the falls, the tears and blood you have scarified, and all the hard and noble work you have done for the peace in Sanctuary, hereby I declare you as my successor, the next Patriarch of Athena's Sanctuary, the representative and the knowledge keeper of the Star Hill : Sagittarius Aiolos."

Both saints secretly became pale with different reasons. And before Aiolos could turn to face his best friend, the Patriarch voice was heard again.

"Rise, Aiolos, my son." Patriarch Shion looked sharply to the other saint. "You may leave us and spread the news on my behalf, Saga. I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Yes, master." And the Gemini saint bowed politely behind Aiolos, swiftly leaving the chamber without a sound and with the head held high.

Aiolos did not have the time to see his friend's face. But he knew already how it would have been, no matter how Saga would try to hide it.

 _Anguish._

 _Despair._

* * *

Note :

I apologize for every sort of mistakes in my writings.


	2. A Secret To Keep

**A Secret to Keep**

 **§§§§**

 ** _Two years ago, before that starry night_**

 ** _§§§§_**

* * *

Aiolos had just entered the gate of Sanctuary, back from a mission, when Patriarch Shion summoned him, directly being teleported to the highest temple.

"Please assist Kanon to take care of Saga. This is the festives month and Saga was already scheduled to represent me in Rodrio."

Shion's order should be interpreted as Kanon would be parading around as his popular twin, and that Aiolos should take care of a wounded Saga.

"May I know what has happened, master Shion?"

"Like you, I've sent Saga somewhere to practice and deepen the understanding of his technique and power." Shion crossed his hands. "In Saga's case, apparently he somehow had encountered a projection of Chronos who then gave him this gold dagger." The Patriarch showed Aiolos a box with a beautiful golden dagger inside it. "And Saga brought it when he was practicing the usual technique of opening the dimensions. It appeared that the dagger had intervened with Saga's power in a mysterious way, making his technique stronger and different usual. It was there that he met Ares who provoked a battle."

"Receiving a gift from a god and fighting another one whilst on a learning mission. What a training time. I am almost jealous of him, master."

"You will not be jealous after you see him later." Shion frowned. "He barely escaped the fight. And…" Shion paused, "and he is in a bad condition now, physically and mentally."

"By goddess! Would he survive, master?" Aiolos was afraid for Saga.

"We have tended his wound and gave him the Panacea. He would be fine. It is his mind that I am most concern of, Aiolos. That is why I want you to take care of him in Kanon's place. You are almost a family to him beside his twin."

"Of course I will, master Shion." Aiolos was the only one who knew about the existence of a twin brother of Saga, apart from an old maid who raised them since they were young.

From the very beginning, the Patriarch forbade Aiolos to speak about Saga's twin to anyone. Not even to Aiolia, his younger brother who joined him later in the Sanctuary. According to the great Patriarch, it was one of his tactics for the upcoming Holy War.

Surely, no one dared to open the secret. Even the naughty Kanon could obey it for loving the idea of him as Sanctuary's secret weapon.

* * *

§§§

It was after two weeks of having Saga as his patient that Aiolos learnt about a secret Saga has kept from his twin. It was what Saga had learnt during his fight with Ares.

That night, Saga was having fever and nightmares, crying like a baby. The Gemini was at a lowest point that Aiolos could make him talked into it, confided his fears in his best friend's arm.

§§§

"Sssh…don't worry, my friend. Whatever Ares has told you, it was a trick to confuse and defeat you."

"He didn't need to trick me, Aiolos. He could have killed me there had he wanted it. He said...that he liked me as a vessel. And it's because of the nature of us, the cursed twins of Athena's soldier since many many times." Saga sobbed. "Then Ares took me through my own technique combined with the golden dagger to bend and manipulate those times."

"And what did you see, Saga?"

"I saw the extend of the curse upon the Geminis, those of the highest rank of Athena's soldier. All throughout the histories. We were cursed to be a joke of the gods since the beginning." Saga massaged his right-side temple. He had terrible migraines since that battle with Ares. His right eye was bleeding when he collided with Ares, trying to escape from the distorted dimension. And when the bleeding finally stopped, the iris was tainted and permanently lost its Aegean-sea color that used to melt most of people while talking with him.

"What did Ares show you, by goddess?" Aiolos gave Saga an ice pack to cool down the burning pain. He gently wiped the tears on Gemini's face.

"One time, he showed me a monster living like an animal inside a burning lava. And another time, we were living as parasites, as a monstrous tumor on each other's body. There was also a giant monster destroying Sanctuary...I lost the track of time or lost the counts of in how many dimensions I've been." Saga threw the ice pack onto the wall. "And in every other time... ** _every time_** _..._ we would end up killing each other. Be it as brothers or sisters. It's all the same." Saga abruptly sat up and grabbed Aiolos by the shirt. He cried in anger. "And while you can watch your little lion grows happily with your family nearby, Aiolos, I have to watch Kanon lives in the shadow and gradually turns into whatever monster he is destined to. Then it's either that monster kills me, or I will have to kill my brother. THAT is the great destiny of us the Gemini saints. How funny is that, huh? Explain it to me!"

"Saga! Saga….hush...calm down, my friend." Aiolos hug him. Eventually, the Sagittarius saint cried with Gemini. "Ares was messing with your mind." But even Aiolos doubted it. Ares is known to be a god of war who lusts for direct and open wars. That god is rarely been described as deceitful. But if Ares was not being deceitful, what a gruesome destiny that both of his favorite twins were facing.

"I refuse to live a cursed life that is flawed from the beginning, Aiolos!"

"You and Kanon will not have that kind of life. Be sure of it. Master Shion might know a way, Saga."

"That old man was just staring at me when I confronted him about this. He said nothing when I asked him if it was true, if he ever met a Gemini gold saint who didn't have this kind of path, at least during his era." Saga was hateful.

"He must have said something, Saga. It can't be that master Shion said nothing to guide you. Maybe, please don't punch me, maybe you were too upset at that time and didn't hear what you should hear."

"Heh, he said something trashy like all those Gemini ended up noble, and how important it was what I would choose for my future. Was he deaf? Kanon and I cannot choose not to be cursed."

"Stop it, Saga. Don't take this hateful path. You must defy it. Athena will protect you."

"Oh, and not even once I saw her there defending us the cursed ones."

"That can't be true. Ares would not want to show it, of course. Please think clearly, my friend. Pray that our goddess Athena would arrive soon in Sanctuary." Aiolos lifted Saga's chin to face him. "Listen to me, you said you didn't see any Athena in those eras? That's precisely the key. Perhaps you have to be as closest to Athena as possible to defy the curse."

"As closest as possible as a Patriarch of the Sanctuary?" Saga tried being cynical. Lots of people had whispered it to him in praising.

"I'd say, you are on the right path already." Aiolos nodded, seriously. "You and Kanon will beat the curse that way. And I will use all my power to help you achieve it. I would sacrifice myself if that could stop you two from killing each other."

Saga blinked, and finally loosened his grip. "Will you really promise me to achieve that highest place?"

"I could even swear it, Saga. You have my word."

Saga gave a tired smile. "Generous Aio, lucky me...lucky Kanon."

"Stop mocking me. I'd hate to see you dying, Saga. What a waste of a great future warrior, oh, I mean a great Patriarch." Aiolos continued sheepishly. "Well...I don't have any other best friend that I can talk to like we do. Also, our Sanctuary would be too peaceful and lonely without you two fighting each other in the shadows."

"You have your loud wild lion. And just wait until our little Milo comes of age and jumping around beating all her admirers. A peaceful Sanctuary, indeed."

"A disaster." Aiolos laughed softly, feeling relieved to see his comrade finally found his sense again. "And you are lucky to have a twin like Kanon. He really cares for you, sometimes in his own way."

"Never tell him this. Yes, he is a gem, when he wants to." Saga shifted his body to lay on the bed again. The migraine still lingered there. He took the wet and cold cloth Aiolos gave him, to wipe his face into freshness. He pleaded. "Aiolos, promise me, too. That you will never tell Kanon about what I've seen, and about the curse. Like...never ever. Please."

"You can count on me, Saga." Aiolos patted Saga's shoulder. "Now rest your body. I'll be watching you until Kanon gets home."

The Gemini Saint caught Aiolos' hand and held it while he started closing his eyes, trying to sleep. "Do you know what they say about a true best friend you could find in the world?"

"That it's a rare gem of life?"

"You are, Aiolos, mine."

"Yes, Saga, I am." Aiolos smiled back. "I can say the same for you, pal. Now shut up."


	3. After A Shared Secret

I _have indulged too much, adding more chapters. Hope you won't mind, my pretty._

 _Also thanks to those who read me and leaving the trail of kudo(s)_

* * *

 **§§§§**

 **After The Shared Secret**

 **§§§**

* * *

Ares has shown Saga the bitter truth of being a Gemini saint from the highest rank of Athena's soldier.

And Aiolos kept his promise to keep Saga's secret from anyone, especially Kanon.

Aiolos understood Saga's fear completely, and so he became a supporter for Saga's strong ambition to become the next Patriarch. The Gemini saints was always more ambitious than he was anyway.

After that night, Aiolos always justified Saga's growing desire for power as a normal thing. As natural as those attractive smiles on his face.

For his part, Saga never forgot to assure Aiolos, his closest rival for throne, that he wanted to be a Patriarch only because that position would allow him to be very close to Athena. He made Aiolos believe that all he wanted was to ask their goddess to reveal more of the hidden story behind the joke of the gods. That if he were lucky, perhaps even to ask her to bestow him with divine power that rivaled the god's. A divine power to undo the curse when it was first cast in the before-time era, that was all he would ask.

Saga never forgot to assure Aiolos that all he wanted was to save his Kanon and those other suffering Geminis from before or after his era.

§§§§§§§

Little did Aiolos know that Saga had more to hear from Ares during the battle; about how the god of war had a liking for a particular Gemini saint as a perfect vessel to destroy Athena.

 _Saga never told Aiolos what he really felt when Ares had collided into his body, half way on the escaping route from the bent dimension._

 _Saga never told Aiolos how it felt to be a vessel of the god, be it for just a fraction of time. He never told Aiolos how it felt when his body contained the immense and unlimited power of Ares, when he tasted a god's immortality and the vast greatness of an ultimate ruler above all._

Just like a tainted eye that stayed with him, the taste of a divine power has never really left him. From time to time behind a closed door, Saga indulged into those feeling as his guilty pleasure.

For his part, Saga was smart enough to cover it from everyone including the Great Patriarch Shion. Although he was not smart enough to escape Kanon's eagle eyes.


	4. After THAT Starry Night

**After That Starry Night**

 _Right after Patriarch Shion revealed his choice of the next Patriarch_

 **§§§§§**

* * *

 **Note: Just one more chapter and it's done, pretty.**

How exactly Saga killed the Patriarch would be in another separate story.

* * *

§§§

With every steps down to his palace, Aiolos was throttled by guilt.

 _"Holy Athena, please give me the strength to carry these news to him."_

Aiolos stopped to take a deep breath, gathering his inner cosmo. As if the appointment of him as the next Patriarch was not bad enough, master Shion had made him agreed to choose another saint to be his second-in-command and also another saint to be the reader of the star during his future ruling era. A star reader, Aiolos could easily think of the Aquarius saint.

 _"But my second-in-command and adviser other than Saga? This is crazy."_

At this time, with some doubts Aiolos was thinking of Pisces Mu, as a direct student of master Shion who surely would have a vast knowledge and hidden knowledge about the Sanctuary, to be the strongest contender for the position beside the powerful yet wise Virgo Shaka.

 _"Goddess, they are all still too young to share this serious task of not only ruling the Sanctuary, but also to prepare for the coming Holy War."_ Without realizing that he was arriving at his palace, Aiolos kept muttering to himself. _"Even master Shion made me promised to never allow Saga get into the Star Hill. What is this all about between them?"_

The Sagittarius saint had expected that his friend would want to talk about the blow with him, most probably right now. However, there was no sight of him or the trace of his cosmo in Sagittarius palace. Aiolos wondered if the Gemini has gone back to his own Gemini Palace. Although, being shaken by the unexpected news, Aiolos doubted that Saga would go there and risking his twin Kanon to dig out of what had happened.

So he took the turn to go to a secret path between his Palace and the highest palace of the Patriarch. In the middle of the way, there was a hidden natural pool with a small waterfall. It was always Saga's favorite place to hide, meditate or read his books, and of course for bathing and relaxing. So Aiolos tried his luck of finding the wounded Gemini there.

 **§§§§**

* * *

Just as what he was hoping, the Gemini saint was sitting between the giant roots of the trees beside the pond. Half of his Gemini's face was hidden by the shadows of the trees under the moonlight.

"Saga, " called Aiolos softly, gently like holding a thin glass.

The Gemini Saint turned his face towards his call. And Aiolos could now see the other eye of the Gemini and shuddered. He thought it must have been his imagination out of fear of Saga's anger, but Saga's tainted eye was more shining than usual, and it was shining red. However, Aiolos was surprised to find that Saga looked calmer and better than what he thought it would be.

The Gemini Saint did not say anything, waiting Aiolos to speak. And he turned his face away when Aiolos was not saying anything yet, and looked up to the Star Hill. To that point, Aiolos realized that he should deliver the news in one go, because Saga only cared about what it meant for Kanon rather than the glory of being a ruler. Or so he, thought.

Aiolos could see Saga's face became harder without changing his sight of the Star Hill above them. After the last news about him being banned from the Star Hill, there was a slight curve on his lips. A smile of irony.

Then the silence dropped between them, like there was a rift of another dimension building between them. Aiolos wanted to hug his friend to comfort him and ask his forgiveness of taking all the very thing in the world that his best friend ever wanted, but the silence separated them away.

"Saga, talk to me, my friend." Aiolos dropped on his knee, whispering. He saw Saga slowly lifted his hand to rub his right forehead and temple Aiolos almost could feel the pain that Saga was in. And he felt being crushed when finally Saga answered him in a lifeless tone.

"I have locked him in that cave, Aiolos."

"What? Kan-?"

They both knew what it meant. Cape Sounion was not a prison for no reason. It was already a big question of how Saga could open the place to put someone in. It already meant that the cave had considered Saga worthy, or that his judgement on the person to be put in was legit and was accepted by the divine power of that place. To release a prisoner was never heard of, at least during their era and the previous one.

"I had no choice. He has started to show the cursed path." Saga gave him a cynical smile, then turned his face to confront Aiolos'. His still beautiful Aegean-sea eye was glistening by a hanging tear, while the tainted one shone in red. His voice, however, was still calm and collected. "And now you are telling me that I should just let him stay in there without doing nothing, while the in the Star hill the solution to this curse could have been just laying around without anyone ever noticing it ?"

Aiolos swallowed. "I will look for it, what you're looking for, Saga. As...as, erm, as Patriarch I can-"

"With all the respect, _Your Excellency_ , you cannot even finish a book in one night, let alone to remember all of the content. How do you know what you are looking at?" Saga gave a dry laugh.

"Fair enough. But I have a star reader and an adviser to assist me, and help me with your indirect guide. I will find it for you, Saga."

"Who can you pick beside me as your adviser, tell me. Shura? Aphrodite? Oh, maybe even Dante? How ridiculous." Saga's tone was sweet and bitter and the time.

"In time, Camus would also be a good adviser as well as a star reader, if that can assure you better, my friend."

"He is still a child to me. By the time he finds something-if he ever will-my brother has been a food for those fishes already the year before." Now the hanging tears were falling down slowly.

But Saga never produced other than a flat tone. Which gave Aiolos a shiver. The Sagittarius saint would prefer to see Saga yelling, cursing and sobbing, anything, anything that would show him a human side. Not this eerie young man with one red eye and a beautiful-yet threatening smile, a mask.

Desperate to win his friend over, Aiolos answered back. "I know, by gods I do know it, that you are the best choice for a star reader or an adviser, Saga. Hell, even you are the best choice for _a Patriarch_! I admit it." Aiolos inhaled and exhaled to calm himself. "Honestly, I still cannot comprehend it. But...listen to me...there must be a reason for all of this. You and I just don't understand it yet." Aiolos approached his friend, breaking the rift between them. "The important thing is this, Saga. Master Shion told me that it is all Athena's will, for she will finally arrive here among us in the Sanctuary!" Aiolos pleaded. "The signs are strong, that's what he told me. Just be patient, Saga. Together, we will work this out for your brother. Together, you and me, with our goddess power and wisdom."

Saga raised from his seat between the roots. He was talking in half dreaming, turning his body to walk towards the pond."Yes, of course...Athena. How can I forget that, Aio?" He started to take off his clothes, leaving Aiolos the sight of a bare back covered with the long blue hair. With a grace movement, the Gemini saint entered the shimmering ripples of the pond under the bright moonlight. He sat there chest-deep. "You must forgive me, Aio. I still haven't spread the great news about you, what our Patriarch asked me. I want...I must first clear my head."

Aiolos reached to touch Saga's shoulder from the back. "Do what you must, my friend. No one will care for any news during this hour. Just...just do that early in the morning, will you? So that master Shion will not take this as another disobedience of yours. I...I consider that we are in this together. So please be happy for me, Saga."

"Just leave me to think, Aio." Saga was still with his lifeless tone, resting his head on the side of the pond. Now he was a neck deep inside the water with his face bathing on the moonlight. He closed his eyes.

Aiolos cleared his throat, seeing his friend like that. With closed eyes, without seeing that eerie tainted eye, Saga looked very handsome, calm and angelic. A perfect mask to hide all the fears, anguish and despair underneath. "I am sorry...for Kanon." Aiolos retreated, turning his body to leave his meditating friend. Just after one step, Aiolos already stopped, hesitating for a minute. "Saga...this is the very secret that master Shion shared only to his successor. I only tell this to you because of Kanon. Keep it to yourself." Aiolos waited for a reaction. But nothing apart from a soft rippled from the pond responded to him. He continued anyway. "Actually, our goddess Athena has arrived among us. A moment before master Shion summoned us." Aiolos sighed. " Although, she is still a baby. I tell you this so you can be sure that the help is near. She will grow up soon, just give our goddess a time, my dear Saga." Aiolos waited for another response but got none. So he resumed walking back to his palace, giving Saga a peace to contemplate.

 **§§§§**

* * *

Saga sat upright in the water. He did not know for how long it has been after Aiolos leaving him there in the pond.

Saga's hand was playing with the water, making small circles, one at time that would grow into a big one across the pond. He laughed softly. Bitterly. Infuriated.

"Baby Athena...my goddess Athena. Baby Athena... _baby_...what a sweet baby."

A _baby_ goddess was equal as a death punishment for his evil twin, Kanon.

He slowly went outside the pond, put his clothes and walked along the secret path to the Palace of the Patriarch. On the half way before reaching the highest Palace, Saga summoned his Gemini armor. Then he turned a discreet big stone to reveal a golden dagger that he had stolen from the highest Palace days before. He calmly hid the beautiful dagger behind his majestic cloak and resumed climbing past the highest palace, towards the Star Hill, where the Patriarch would spend the night on specific nights as usual, the ritual that Saga knew.

 _A baby Athena_. Shion should be able to deliver him a clear and satisfactory explanation about the whole situation. Because a baby means death for his innocent evil twin.

"Unless…." Saga muttered under his breaths.

 _Unless he is the Patriarch._

 **§§§§§**

* * *

As the history revealed itself, that night the old Patriarch had fallen, losing a discreet battle on the Star Hill to a Gemini Saint Saga who held the divine gold dagger.

Star Hill stood there that night when the Gemini Saint stole the ring of Gyges, took the Patriarch robe and great mask, holding a gold dagger towards the room where a sweet baby slept peacefully.

 **§§§§**

The Star Hill watched in silence how the great Sagittarius Aiolos fought to his death that night, to save the baby from his best friend who donned the Patriarch Mask.

Aiolos fought to his death to save a baby that he believed in the future would save his best friend from the god of war that had consumed his body. The tainted eye that had swallowed his kind-heart friend in full into evilness.

Tears were falling down his cheeks when he blew Saga into his fall during their fight over the baby. The tears were down his cheeks when the obedient Shura attacked him following an order from the false Patriarch, giving him those fatal blows that cut through his cosmo and his tired body. The fatal and unforgiving attack of the Excalibur.

The Star Hill watched in silence that night, when the Virgo Saint Shaka was deceived by the combination of Saga's astral projection as a Patriach and the untraceable cosmo of Gemini around the projection with the help of the Gyges ring that Saga had stolen. The gold saints watched the fall of the Gemini Saint from the fight with the traitor of the Sanctuary, and has gone missing since then.

The Star Hill watched in silence that night, when the fallen Sagittarius saint spent his last, dying breaths to tell Mitsumasa Kido about the baby Athena.

"She is a goddess...Athena….she will grow...to save the world...from evil and destruction...and she will...save...my...fri-...end."

 **§§§§**

 _Saga, my gem, your star will be free from the curse. You'll see. Stay faithful to our Athena, my friend. I give this life for you...and Kanon._

 **§§§**


	5. Forever My Gem

**Forever My Gem**

 **§§§**

* * *

More than a decade has passed. Some battles have passed behind. Some deaths of their own have passed through.

And then here they were, standing high on the rock. Being free from the poison of Yggdrasil in the cold northern land, with their hearts full of the warmth of a second chance in their life to meet in flesh again, eye to eye, without any tainted eye.

There was that silence again between them, when Saga and Aiolos were looking at each other despite the enemy near by. There was not enough time to talk about what, why and how. But from those eyes, an almost eternal time formed between them, enough to restore the precious bond between them in those previous lives. All have been understood...and forgiven.

Looking through the eyes of each other's, they shared the same love to their little brothers. They understood each other that they would have done anything in the world to save their precious brothers. Literally anything.

 **§§§**

Aiolos nodded and smiled to the Gemini Saint. Not all the paths taken by the first twin were correct and noble. However, in Aiolos eyes, Saga has paid for the price, _dearly_.

For since the day had Saga told him about what was kept under the Cape Sounion, Aiolos never seen the other twin. Again, Aiolos looked around him. He realized that there was no sign of the other twin, the one that his best friend cared so much. No sign of Kanon or his fun laughs—not before the Wailing Wall—and not now in this land.

It was Saga's greatest desire to protect his twin from the cruel curse on their stars. A desire that was almost equal to his desire for an unlimited, divine power. And in part, Aiolos had blindly supported that desire to grow as well.

Therefore, failing to achieve those desires was already a hard sentence for the Gemini Saint. Losing his twin was a gruesome punishment that Saga had taken in more than one life. Aiolos understood it well what his best friend had endured...and what he was still enduring.

So Aiolos decided to take the first step.

* * *

Saga looked regretful, a bit shy and unsure when Aiolos approached him. The Gemini Saint even took one step back without realizing it. But Aiolos did not let his friend get away and swiftly pulled him for a tight embrace.

"All is fine, Saga. I am still your gem."

Saga closed his eyes to prevent the tears escaping his Aegean-sea green eyes. He hug Aiolos back.

"Thank you Aiolos." That was all that Saga could say. "You are indeed my gem."

 ** _A true, best friend is a rare gem. One should never let it slip out of the hands, never let it be dissolved into nothingness by the time._**

Saga tightened his embrace. He found back a gem of friendship, although he has lost a soul twin, twice.

 _You always find your own way, Kanon. You will be fine. You must be. For me._

Then Saga stepped back, releasing Aiolos to observe all the gold saints around them, flying in their myth cloths and divine wings. For whatever reason without Shion's presence and with Aiolos forgiving gestures towards him, all the gold saints including the young Dohko were looking up to the Gemini saint again-awaiting him to lead them as a former Patriarch.

They might only have minutes left to live in that foreign land. The best thing to spend it was to go hand in hand in full brotherhood.

Standing tall and majestic in resolution, Saga turned to the Sagittarius Saint. His signature angelic smile was on his handsome face. "Let's assist your precious little lion."

Aiolos nodded, beaming in the same sweet smile."Always count on you, Saga. My friend."

And all is forgiven in the name of a true friendship.

 **§§§**


End file.
